← ArchiveSunday, October 21, 2018DateOctober 21, 2018Speaker—Text—Passages in this sermonMark 15:43John 1417:25Psalms 220:25Isaiah 4220:35Matthew 2835:31Romans 1040:53TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00We'll be right back. So today we begin with new music, a new sermon series.0:30We're debating on where the music comes from. I think it's Hawaiian. So if you're joining us for our next steps, lunch after church, I've ordered Hawaiian pizza in honor of that. But we begin in our new series today in the book of Mark. So you can go ahead and look. It's the second gospel in the New Testament, the book of Mark. You know, first impressions are vital. You only get, my parents always told me, you only get one chance to make a first impression.0:57And particularly the first thing that you say to someone or the first thing that you do in front of someone says a lot about the foundation of that relationship. So before I share this story, I have two caveats here. One, I have permission. Okay, that's first of all. Second is I wrote this sermon, almost always I write and pray through my sermons on Wednesday. Okay. You say, well, why are you telling us that?1:27It's going to make sense shortly. I remember going to a football game in Louisiana. That's not, that was not a joke. It's a true story. Not a pastor, not a pastor story. And, and I remember that we were going to meet a friend of a friend who's never met before. And so we pull up at this, on Sherwood Boulevard in Baton Rouge. And so my friend met her friend in, in Florida, serving in summer missions.1:53And so we were meeting this friend and, and we pulled up and we were, I was cool. You guys don't realize how you, you don't realize how cool I truly am. One day you will realize it. So I was in my grandfather's van, not a minivan, a van. Right. And it was a white van, fully loaded with like plush maroon interior. It's one of those vans where you just feel like you have to wear a lot of gold chains to drive. And so we're, we're in that, we're in this van and I see this beautiful, stunning young woman in the parking lot.2:24And I'm thinking, so what, what am I going to say to her to make a first impression? So in my mind, I'm figuring out, she's going to remember this moment forever. And she's just going to drop to her knees and ask me to marry her. So I need to say something that's very powerful in this moment. And before I could even say anything, she walks over to the van and says this. I remember it to this day. She said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, go Tigers.2:52She said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, go Tigers.3:04And I said, my life has changed. How do you say no to that? Well, let me just, let me give you the end of the story. 14 years later, 12 of those being married, two kids and a pug. I think it worked out. Right. I think it worked out. And I had, I had, I truly had her permission to share that. That has nothing to do with my torment yesterday, which the Lord is still sanctifying me, obviously. But really, some of that is made up.3:36Most of that is true. It was in my grandfather's van. She is a beautiful young woman. And I realized that day, hey, if she wants to serve the Lord, I would love to serve the Lord with her. Right. And so it's my honor, Casey, to be married. If you wonder who that is, she's right here in the gold, goldish things. So, yeah. And I often say when, when we came as pastor, she, she was the better end of the deal.4:02You don't have to say anything to that. You don't have to affirm that. But first words matter. Why do I give you that, that story? Because we begin a new series in Mark entitled Quotation Marks. You see, Mark is a, what the genre of Mark is, is an ancient bios or biography. And biographies in the ancient world, especially Greek and Roman, were to give you an accurate portrayal of one individual.4:26Oftentimes, it was the national hero. It was, it was Caesar. It was, or one of the Greek gods. It was someone who was important. And so what we have in Mark, one of the shortest gospels, are simply the words and the actions of Jesus. So this morning, we're going to look at the first action of Christ and the first word, the first dialogue of the Messiah, the deeds and the dialogue.4:55And the message is simply entitled First Words in the Gospel of Mark. You see, Mark wants to show you that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. He's fully human and fully divine. So we begin where Mark begins. We've already read about John the Baptist. Let's look at verse 9 of chapter 1 this morning. And if you're, if you're new here, my expectation is that you open your Bible.5:22Don't listen to what I say. I want you to see it for yourself. I'm very clear. There are no words that I can offer you that will change your life. But there is a word that we can read that will change your life. It's the Bible. Who tells us about the one who changed the world, Jesus Christ. Verse 9, Mark 1. In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.5:45As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven saying, you are my beloved son. With you, I am well pleased. Now look at verse 16.6:14It says, after the temptation, Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee. He saw Simon. Now, Simon, you might not recognize that name, but Simon also has a secondary name, a new name, because Jesus changed him. And his name is Peter. So if you hear Peter, that is Simon. He has a brother, Andrew, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Follow me, Jesus told them, and I will make you fish for people.6:42Now, let me just stop there. Church people, we don't realize how odd this is. So if you're a fisherman and Jesus walks up on you and says, hey, let's not fish for fish. Let's fish for men. That doesn't make sense. It just doesn't. We need to own that and be honest with that. Now, we're going to see what Jesus means shortly. Immediately, these fishermen do what?7:12They leave their nets and they follow him. Now, there must be something different about this man for fishermen to leave their nets and follow him. In verse 19, going a little further, he sees James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat, putting their nets in order. Immediately, he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. Let's pray.7:42Let's pray. Let's pray. Lord, truly, first words and first impressions matter. So this morning, as we see the first deed of your son, Jesus, help us understand that he has complete authority from heaven. Lord, as we have read and we hear the first dialogue of the Savior. Lord, by your Holy Spirit, open our hearts to realize that your son has complete authority upon the earth, upon our lives.8:04Father, where we are resistant, tear down those walls. Where we are scared, remove that fear and give us boldness to walk in faith. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. So two points here this morning. Very simply, Jesus has complete authority in heaven and Jesus has complete authority upon the earth.8:32So let's look again in verse 9, these first words of Jesus. So in those days, Jesus comes from Nazareth in Galilee. So Nazareth is also near Galilee. So Jesus is in this region and what is happening? Jesus comes upon the scene and he's following a man named John the Baptist. John is a very salty individual. He's gruff, right?9:02He eats locusts and he kills camels and he wears them as tunics. And this guy is gruff and his sermon is not Jesus loves you, he really needs you, come to God. What's John the Baptist's sermon? Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. And guess what people are doing? They're coming in droves, coming to hear John the Baptist. And so Jesus now comes and Jesus comes to John the Baptist and says, hey, John the baptizer, baptize me.9:30And we know the background. John says, I'm not doing that. You're the one that I've been making the path straight for. Lord, why would I baptize you? I'm not even worthy to tie your sandal. So we need to ask, why would Jesus be baptized? And what is the consequence of that? So one man, an early church father, Gregory Naziazin, says this about the baptism here.9:57He says, as a man, Jesus was baptized, but he absolved sins as God. So Jesus was baptized as a man, but he forgives sin. He clears your sins as God. He needed no purifying rites himself. His purpose was to hallow water. Now, that's thousand-year-old language for the water didn't make Jesus holy.10:25Jesus makes the water holy. Jesus didn't need to be baptized because he needed his sin forgiven. But Jesus was affirming John the Baptist's ministry, and he's modeling to future followers of Christ, this is what you do. This is your step of faith. This is your act of obedience. So how dare we say, well, Jesus, I'm going to follow you, but I'm not really going to follow you.10:51This is what Christ's followers should do. And something amazing happens here. Look what happens when Jesus is baptized. Was he baptized because he needed forgiveness? No. He's baptized because he offers us forgiveness. And immediately, verse 10, as soon as he came up out of the water, he sees something happen. What happens in verse 10? He looks up and the heavens slowly work their way open.11:21I love how the CSB says that the heavens were torn open. It's like getting a gift in the mail and you ripping the present apart. It's as if whatever was hindering heaven and earth was torn to shreds. Now, we say, well, why is this important?11:50The old King James, some of you have memorized this or know that the King James would say it like this, right? The heavens were torn asunder. I heard it over here, right? Some of you grew up in the same church I did. They were torn asunder. I'm like, what is a sunder? It means they were torn quick, apart. You're not putting it back together. See, in Second Temple Judaism, they believed that after the prophets quit writing, that God quit speaking to his people.12:19Think about that. They believed that after Jeremiah and Habakkuk and Malachi, after they went and they died and they were with the Father, that God had stopped speaking to his people. And maybe you feel like that today. Maybe you feel in your life that, Lord, I just don't hear you anymore. Oh, Lord, you know the sin I wrestle with. And because of that, you've stopped speaking to me. Lord, I just wish I could go back to the day where you were working in my life and I don't see that anymore.12:49Maybe you feel like God's turned his back upon you because of your sin, because of your struggles. Maybe you've had someone pass away in your life and you say, well, God, how dare you? How could you let the righteous person die? God, why would you turn your back upon me? The people of God in this time, they felt that way. Now, let me just say this. God never turns his back upon you.13:18Never. The reality is this. We turn our back upon God. And so if anyone has their back turned, you know, I say, God, why did you turn around? And God says, I haven't moved. But just why did you, why have you chosen your sin and your rebellion and your hard heart? He said, the people of God were in this mode. But look what happens in Jesus Christ. As soon as he came up out of the water, he sees what?13:46He sees the heavens torn open. What is that saying to us? Heaven has not quit speaking. In Christ, actually, God has not shut you out. He has now opened the door through Christ to speak to earth again, to speak to you. If you're not hearing God, it's not because he's not speaking. It's because we're not listening.14:14And you say, well, when does God speak? God has never spoken to me. Well, you know what? He's given us a lot. It's his words. You see, you don't really believe that God speaks through his word. Absolutely. I believe that what we have already read today is living and it is active. And it is sharper than any sword you could ever imagine. And it will penetrate. Some of you are wrestling with this right now.14:43You're thinking, well, who set me up? Someone invited me to church and you told the pastor all about my life. No, that's the word of God penetrating the dark recesses of your soul. And you say, well, I don't like to be convicted, but God is still speaking through conviction. Hear his voice. Run to the throne where you will find mercy in your time of need. You see, when the heavens were torn open, God reminds us that in Christ we have open communication that will not be shut.15:07So here's what the reminder is here in this baptism. Look, don't look to heaven for God anymore. Don't look and say, God, I'm just looking to heaven. Where are you? The heavens are torn apart. Look to Jesus Christ. Look to Christ. And you will have communion with the Father and open communication that will never be closed.15:32But scripture doesn't stop there. Not only does Jesus look and the heavens are ripped apart, what else happens? We have in verse 10, and the Spirit descends like a dove. Now, this is not saying that the Holy Spirit is a dove. That's not what it's saying. It's more about the landing than the form of the Holy Spirit.15:59Right? It's as if a dove, a bird, landed on Christ saying, look, my spirit is upon this man. He is not like any man that you have ever seen before. This is not Josh getting baptized in the Jordan. This is not Jimmy or Andy. This is not someone from Bethel getting baptized in the Jordan. And as a way of announcement, we're hoping to go back to Israel in 2020. If you want to get baptized in the Jordan, we would love for you to join us. Let me just say, it is very cold in January in the Jordan River.16:29Right, guys? Some of you have had that wonderful opportunity. The Holy Spirit lands upon Christ. Why is this vital? Because the community of faith believed that one day when the Messiah would come, the Holy Spirit would be upon this man. So the community of faith believed that God had no longer, he would no longer speak. And now they're believing that, hey, whoever, when the Messiah comes, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God will be upon this man.16:55Isaiah reminds us, 64 verse 1, that if only you would tear the heavens open and come down so that the mountains would quake at your presence. See, not only does Jesus tear heaven apart, but the Holy Spirit is upon him. This is the same Messiah that spoke this. If you know the words of John 14, if you love me, you will keep my commands.17:25This is what Jesus says. The same one who has the Holy Spirit upon him says this about the Holy Spirit. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever. So listen to what Jesus is saying. The same Spirit that you saw descend like a dove upon me is the same Spirit I will give who? I will give those who follow me. It's the same Spirit that you have if you have trusted in Jesus Christ.17:51Verse 17 of John says, He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it does not see him or know him. But you do not know him. You do know him because he remains with you and will be in you. Here's the glorious promise of Christ. If you have put your trust in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. Think about that. And it's not a baby spirit. It's not like a baby dove that one day will be a dove that can flourish and fly in your life.18:21You have the Spirit of the living God in you. So how can Jesus do that? Because he is fully and completely divine. Jesus gives you, gives me the Holy Spirit. Who has the power to give? His name is Jesus Christ in third. He has complete authority from heaven because he tears the heavens open. The Holy Spirit comes like a dove.18:50And the third thing that happens here is what? Third consequence. We see or hear, Jesus does, a voice coming from heaven. He says that you are my beloved son. With you, I am well pleased. And the way my mind works, when it works, the way my mind works, some people think that the voice of God is Charlton Heston or some famous man with a deep voice. We have a gentleman in our church that when he prays, I just think that's what God is going to sound like.19:19Some of you know who that is, right? I just think when he prays, I'm like, Lord, why didn't you give me that voice? Because obviously that voice is your voice. You know, I've often wondered what the voice of the Lord sounds like. And we have all these ideas, but I wonder if the voice of the Lord sounds like a three-year-old meeting a dad at the door after work. Or a grandmother that you don't see, like hearing on the phone, or a long-lost friend. I wonder if the voice of the Lord sounds like the wind or an earthquake.19:48You know, we're not told what the voice of the Lord sounds like. But this is no ordinary voiceover. This is the power of God declaring from heaven, this is my son. He has complete authority because he is God. You see, this verse, although we gloss over it, is a combination of two verses in the Old Testament. And I've put them up here for you.20:17One is in Psalm and the other is in Isaiah. Listen to what Mark is showing us here. Psalm 2-7. I will declare the Lord's decree, he said to me. You are my son. Today I have become your father. And then Isaiah 42 in verse 1. This is my servant. I strengthen him. This is the chosen one in whom I delight. I have put my spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.20:43You see, the voice of God is reminding that this is the covenantal voice. That there is a relationship between the Son and the Father that will never be taken away. That Jesus is God. And so we ask, who is the one who tears open the heavens? Who is the one that the spirit of God would descend on like a dove? Who is the one that the voice of God speaks to audibly?21:10It's the same one who has complete authority in heaven. And his name is Jesus. His name is Jesus Christ. Look at verse 16. Complete authority. As he passes along the Sea of Galilee, he sees Simon and Andrew, Simon's brother, casting nets into the sea.21:34Not only does he have comprehensive authority in heaven, but he has comprehensive authority upon earth. And you say, well, what does that have to do with me? That's a great question. Because if you believe that Jesus is who he says he is, if we're honest, if you believe who God says he is, the beloved son, the one to whom he is well pleased, then he has complete authority in your life. And we don't want that, do we?22:04We want Jesus to be God, but we don't want him to be God over us. So this is where it gets real. To now say, well, Lord, you have complete authority over my life. Look at what is happening here. The first recorded words of Jesus in the gospel of Mark. We find him speaking to two men, Simon and Andrew. And they were casting nets, Mark says. So the way that they would fish in the ancient world, they would have a net, and I'm left-handed, so they would gather it upon one of their hands.22:35And in the net, they would have weights on it. And so if you were really skilled, you would gather all the net in one arm, and then you would throw it in a circular motion. Think about throwing the discus. And as you would throw it in a circular motion, it would land as a parachute in the water. And either yourself or your companion, it might have been Andrew, that person was tasked to add swimming below the surface, gathering the weights of the net and then pulling it to shore.23:03So you get the picture. They're casting their nets. They're either wading in the water, maybe in a boat or on the shore, and they're throwing out into the sea. And Jesus comes and says, hey, dudes, put down your nets. Follow me. And they're not alone. We have other people, right? We have James and John, and where are they? They're in the boat with Dad and some hired hands. They're probably a more successful and more commercial enterprise23:31because they actually have a boat. And what is Jesus doing here? The first words that he says in the Gospel of Mark, listen to these first words. The very first words in verse 17. Jesus says this. Follow me. Very simple. We don't have here evidence that accompanies this call.23:58I mean, what miracle is there? I mean, we don't have the fish jumping out of the water at Jesus, and Jesus is catching them all and saying, hey, guys, if you really want to fish, follow me. What moral persuasion is Jesus offering? Is Jesus sitting on the shore and saying, did you guys not see when that dove came down upon me? Did you not see the heavens rip open? Did you not hear the voice of my Father?24:27If you did, follow me. What evidence does Jesus giving them to follow? When you find out, see me after church. Jesus simply walks upon them and says, follow me. What does that tell me? One, there's no entrance exam. Jesus didn't say, if you pass your Torah exam and get a 21 or higher, then you can follow me. Or if you pass the morality check,24:57because we know fishermen have a reputation, then you can follow me. What Jesus is telling them, you follow me, and everything you need to learn about the Messiah is in the process of following me. I love that because we come to Jesus Christ in different ways. So how dare we say, well, you can't come unless you do this. What prereqs does Jesus require here? Drop the net and come.25:27Follow me in the Greek is very simple. Here, behind me. See, I believe in our life, it's oftentimes easy to wait for the miraculous and miss the call. It's oftentimes easy for church people to wait for the miraculous. Well, when I see the dove, when I hear the wind, when I see the water's part, when God does this for me,25:55then I will follow. And I believe God just says, look, we don't follow him because of what he can do for us. We follow Jesus because he is God. He is God. And let me say, if you're following Jesus because of what he can do, you have not put your trust in Jesus Christ. You put your trust in Santa Claus and it's not Christmas right now. And he is not at our beck and whim and waiting for us to pray26:24so he can grant us whatever we want. This is the one who has complete authority in heaven and complete authority in earth. This is the Messiah that when he walks upon you and says, hey, leave your nets and follow me, we have a choice to make, don't we? The same choice that we have at the baptism. God is saying, this man is God. There's a line in the sand drawn. Either he is God or he's not. And whether you believe that or not doesn't make him God. He is God whether I believe or not.26:55But what are you going to do with that? And Jesus says, follow me. It's easy to wait for the miraculous and miss the call. Do not miss the call. Do not miss the call. And we see another picture here of complete authority in our lives and upon earth. Look at verse 17 again. Jesus is where? He's on the sea, right? The Sea of Galilee. Who is also in the sea?27:24The fishermen. Okay, so don't miss what's happened. So how does Jesus get to the sea? Or how do the fishermen get to the sea? Are they going to the sea because they know Jesus is going to the sea? No, they are there because they're doing what? They're fishing. See, this was unheard of in Second Temple Judaism. I know you're not Second Temple Jews, but let me just kind of explain it to you. And we have no extant witness of a rabbi ever searching for his pupils.27:52Over and over and over again, we have in Second Temple literature that a good student would always search for his rabbi. So if you wanted to grow and be taught by a rabbi, you would get your act together. You would quit fishing. You would save up. And then you would go into Jerusalem and you would find a self-respected rabbi and you would learn under him. But you would seek him out. What do we see Jesus doing here? We see Jesus seeking,28:23taking the initiative of finding these men. And I love this thought. The call to follow Jesus does not take place on holy grounds, but in the world of boats and nets and labor from dawn to dusk. There's no holy ground here. And some of you, that is good news because we find Christ because he is searching for us.28:52Some of you are waiting thinking, if I just get to the point where I am good enough, then I will follow. You say, well, if I could just get out of this fishing business and be a good church person, if I could just move to Jerusalem and go into the temple and then I would find a rabbi. And Jesus says, you don't understand. Before you ever turned an eye to God, he sent his son to die for you. God is searching for you. He sent his son to seek you.29:22Why? Because he has complete authority in heaven and upon earth. You say, well, I don't believe it. It's never been done before. That's the point. That's the point. Everything in our life teaches us, get your act together, clean up, and you'll be accepted by God. And the gospel says you can't get cleaned up. You can't do anything. But that's why it's good news. Because you can't do anything29:51to earn your salvation. So when Satan reminds me of that, Josh, don't you remember your past? Look at the sins you're doing. I can say, hey, adversary, I've read the book and I have done nothing to earn my salvation. Jesus paid it all. But thank you for reminding me that I have done nothing to earn my salvation because you have only made me drink deeper from the cup of the new covenant. Listen,30:21Listen, you can do nothing today to make God love you more. And you can do nothing today to make God love you less. The full expression of his love for you is poured out in Jesus Christ. That is his love. So if you do not know Christ, you do not know the love of God. And a God without Christ is not God and is not love. No matter what the world might tell us, complete authority. But there's a cost, isn't there?30:50There's a cost. Verse 17, follow me and I will make you fish for people. Now we're not told the cost, but implicit to the call is the cost of following Jesus Christ, isn't it? Because we know how they respond. Now, church people, you again need to hear me. There is a cost with following Jesus Christ. Look what happens here31:22in verse 18. Immediately, that is one of Mark's favorite words. Over 40 times, he uses that in his gospel. Immediately, they left their nets and follow Christ. This is a big deal. These are not poor, measly fishermen. There were over 16 bustling ports in the Sea of Galilee. To make it in the fishing business, they would export. We have documents that show exports of fish to Egypt31:51to Egypt and to Greece. They're exporting around the ancient world. To make it in this business was cutthroat. You had to be shrewd and you had to hustle. These were men that knew how to work. They had something to lose. It's not like they were so poor and they said, well, we don't have anything to lose. Let's just quit messing with the fish. They were entrepreneurs. They had businesses and they knew to follow Christ meant that they could no longer follow their way of life. There's a cost32:21to following Christ. He has complete authority in our lives and He takes these fishermen and makes them men fishers. So let's kind of unpack. This is an odd statement. You have never said to your friend, I guarantee you, you know what? I have some time off on Friday. Let's go fish for men. No, you say, let's get in the bass boat and let's go to our honey hole. Let's fish for bass. But if you look at the Old Testament, we have several references32:50to fishermen and over and over again in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos and Habakkuk, it shows us that fishermen were used in the context of judgment in the Old Testament. So what is Jesus telling them? Jesus is saying, look, I've given you a new mission that you are now going to help me rescue those who are living in judgment because of their sin. And the reality is in our sin, we live under judgment.33:20God's not going to ignore our sin one day. He's going to say, you know what? You've been pretty good. I'll just ignore you. You get a pass. Fast pass into heaven. If he were to do that, he would not be God. He is holy and he is just and he is set apart. And so Jesus is saying to the disciples, you're going to help me rescue those who are living in judgment. And if you are a Christ follower, hear me when I say this.33:49Rescued people rescue people. That's the mission. People who have found the grace of Christ tell other people how to find the grace of Christ. It's a beautiful picture. So I don't know how to do that. What did Jesus say? Look at what he tells the disciples. He says, well, I don't know how to fish for men. I haven't had this discipleship program. I haven't had these evangelistic techniques. Jesus says, follow me34:18follow me and I will make you. He didn't say the church will make you. He didn't say if you learn really, really hard, if you just study, then you will be a man fisher. And Jesus says, you follow me. You submit to me as the king of kings and then we will redeem the world. People will hear that while they were still sinners, I died for them. and they will run to Christ.34:47to Christ. Now, there's a cost. Jesus says, the world will hate you. It will hate us because of him. But rescued people rescue people. If you are in Christ, you are a man fisher. And Jesus, through his Holy Spirit, gives you and prompts you to reach others throughout the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. So, where do we go from here? I think that's where35:17we want to end today. Where do we go with all this? If Jesus has complete authority in heaven and Jesus has complete authority upon the earth, what does that mean for us? I'm reminded of Matthew 28, the Great Commission. And Jesus wraps up what Mark is trying to show us in chapter 1. Jesus says, all authority has been given to me in heaven.35:46in heaven. Right? You know, the heaven where it was ripped apart. The heaven where the dove descended and this heaven where the voice spoke and said, this is my son with whom I am well pleased. All authority is given in heaven and on earth. Go. Southern Baptist people. Go. Right? That's what God36:14has for us. If you know him, you go. If you don't know him, you stay. Which one do you want to be? Man, that I would live in a way that says, God, I don't know where you want me to go, but I do know that you want me to go, so therefore I will go. God, I don't know how to fisherman, but you said that you will make me that. God, I don't understand36:44what all this righteousness lives. Lord, you know the life that I've lived and you know that the sin that easily entangles and that strangles me, but Lord, you say if I follow your son Jesus Christ that you will make me righteous because all authority has been given you upon heaven and upon earth. See, we will never worship the beloved son who has complete authority from heaven until you submit to the beloved son who has complete authority37:14authority in your life. Reminded that the same Jesus that has authority on the shores of the Jordan River is the same Jesus that has authority upon the shores of the Sea of Galilee. And if we're honest, we love the Jordan Jesus. Man, give me, rip the heavens open. Give me the Spirit. Let me hear the voice of God. But I don't want to drop my nuts. Jesus,37:44Jesus, you just stay in Jordan. And if we're not careful, we tell people to follow Jesus like this. Raise your hand, say a prayer, and he will change your life, and then go on your merry way. And if that's the Jesus you know, that is not the Jesus that we see in the Word of God. The Jesus that we see is the one who says, leave everything. And even if you do, it is worth it. And maybe38:16And maybe you've been a Christ follower for a long time and you're wrestling right now with, Lord, I know you have complete authority, but I'm trying to wrestle that back. And maybe in our song of response, we're going to sing a song called I Will Follow. Maybe you shouldn't sing that because you're not there, but maybe you should pray that. Say, God, I want to be there. God, I know you have complete authority, but Lord, I'm wrestling. Father, may I follow you. Lord, help me drop the nets. And we need38:45to show the world that Jesus has complete authority in our life, because he does if we follow him. So I think there's a second group of people here, though. And we glossed over it, but don't miss verse 20. Immediately, he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men and followed him. There were some people who were left in the boat.39:15And we don't know how the story ends. Did they not hear the call of Jesus, too? Why were they unwilling to follow? Maybe Zebedee said, hey, I've lost two workers, and I'm just too busy. I can't go right now. Maybe these hired hands that were with him in the boat said, well, surely not us. We're slaves. We're hired hands. Lord, surely you39:45can't be calling us. We're not worth it. We're not worthy. And my prayer for some of you today, I want to be very clear and transparent. My worry is that some of you are going to stay in the boat and be unwilling to follow Christ. It's not worth it. There's no job. There's no net. There's no fish. There's no sin. There's no relationship that is worth40:15hanging on to. When eternal life has been offered, will you surrender that today? You say, well, I don't know how to do. Yes, you do. This is what it looks like. This is what surrender and repentance in Christ looks like. God, you know I have sinned. God, open my hands and let me follow Christ. It's yours. There's no prerequisite exam.40:44prerequisite exam. Jesus says, follow me. I'm reminded of the scripture in Romans 10, 13. For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. That's a mighty bold declaration for someone to make. unless that someone is God. And Jesus has complete authority in heaven and he has complete authority on41:13the earth. He said, well, who is the whoever? You are. You've heard the good news. That you are a sinner and that because of your sin, we are separated eternally from God. but if you will follow him, if you will drop your sin, if you will drop your nest and follow him, he will save you. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord, the one who has authority in heaven and upon earth, you will be41:41saved. Won't you do that today? There is nothing worth holding on to when abundant life is offered. Father, Father,
